A Repton Ramble at Attingham Park in Shropshire

Walking trail

This gentle circular trail walks in the footsteps of landscape designer, Humphry Repton who was the pre-eminent landscape gardener of his time in creating and renovating landscape gardens (he was involved in some 400 properties during his career). Repton was commissioned by the 2nd Lord Berwick in 1797 to redesign the grounds at Attingham and bring them in line with the fashion of the day. The trail highlights the significant views drawn by Repton in his watercolours and offers the chance to explore his designs, both created and unrealised, within the landscape.

Route details

Repton’s aerial view of Attingham. The drive from the top left corner would be used if travelling from Shrewsbury and the drive from the bottom left corner would be used if Lord Berwick was travelling from his London house.National Trust

Map

Start:

Attingham Park 52.685370, -2.667155

1

From the car park make your way to Visitor Reception to show cards or purchase admission. Head through the Stables Courtyard bearing right following signs to the Mansion and Deer Park Walks. Head round the side of the Mansion and as you approach the front of the house you will see before you the vision Repton had for Attingham. Repton sought to create harmonious landscapes, which joined house and garden. A grand house needed to be supported by a grand landscape and each must re-enforce the grandeur of the other.

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Humphry Repton to 2nd Lord Berwick of his watercolour Red Book and approach

“The following pages will, I trust, throw some further light on this subject, and after the improvements of Attingham shall be completed, this little volume will remain in your Lordship’s library as a record of the principles on which those improvements have been conducted. I have the honour to be Your Lordship’s most obedient and very humble servant H. Repton April 1797”

Attingham ParkNational Trust Images

2

Head along the path at the side of the Mansion taking the path on the right towards the white pillar gates near the entrance drive. At the gates turn to take a look back towards the house. Repton did not believe that you needed a huge estate to create grandeur, instead he relied on a series of improvements that would give the illusion of great size. Repton lengthened the drive which approached from Shrewsbury (the one you used today) thus creating an impression of distance, masking the view by planting trees to screen distant views and conceal unsightly landscape features so that the first glimpse of the house was visible when it looked its grandest. As guests came up the drive they were also provided with a view towards the Wrekin hill. Repton had difficulty making this approach more interesting as the land is flat and the trees planted around 20 years earlier were still young. He suggested to vary the line of the drive to show the house at a better angle and to enliven the landscape with scattered groups of deer or cattle.

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Humphry Repton to 2nd Lord Berwick in his Red Book

“By the laws of perspective, the nearer any object is to the eye, the larger it will appear and vice versa, the larger any object is the nearer it will appear to the eye. Consequently, the magnitude of the house makes it appear nearer than it really is there being no intervening objects to divert the attention or assist the eye in measuring the distance.”

View of white pillar gates AttinghamNational Trust Images

3

From the white gates facing the Mansion, head to your right and follow the line of the ha-ha. Repton used a ha-ha to give an illusion of endless landscape and hid distant boundary walls and roads with shrub and tree plantings so that the size of the actual estate was difficult to determine. Removing boundaries and lengthening drives were not the only methods Repton used to make the park look bigger, he was also quite keen to create gaps or windows in the boundary allowing views to be borrowed from the countryside. Similar tree planting were used on farmland and countryside visible in the distance to make the park appear larger than in fact it was.

The hah-ha at AttinghamNational Trust Images

4

Follow the arc of the ha-ha returning to the path down to the right (away from the Mansion) which heads down towards the Deer Park. Pause on the Deer Park bridge. The Deer Park land was purchased just prior to Repton’s commission and may have been the stimulus to engage him in making plans at Attingham.
By the time Repton visited, the river had adopted a meandering line with a number of channels that were liable to flooding. Improvements to the river were one of the main focuses to Repton’s design. By proposing straightening the course of the river and using a weir to control flooding, Repton created an elegant body of water within the park. By controlling the flow of the Tern, Repton was able to create a lake – visible now only by the marshy grasses growing along its original outline.

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Humphry Repton to 2nd Lord Berwick in his Red Book

“It is very true that large pieces of water may be made too trim and neat about the edges… but if the banks are left perfect at first, the treading of cattle will soon give them all the irregularity they require.”

View of Deer Park bridge Attingham ParkNational Trust Images

5

Cross both bridges and head through the black gates into the Deer Park, going uphill slightly, but quickly turning to your right following the path parallel to the river (marked Deer Park Walk). Walk along this path for approximately 150 metres and at the fork in the path take the right hand path near some old trees.

Path divides on Repton Ramble at AttinghamNational Trust Images

6

Turn to your right here at admire the view back towards the Mansion. Repton had a definite vision of the approach to Attingham Park from London and the east. He proposed that a new (second) carriage drive sweep into the park from the east passing through the extensive Deer Park and providing a stunning view over the river Tern, which Repton had proposed to be widened to look like a lake, to the house beyond. The new entrance involved the construction of a bridge to form a crossing over the Tern. Construction began in 1798 with additional work being undertaken in 1800 and 1807. The original bridge was constructed of wood and ironwork. Where you are standing is approximately where that bridge would have been situated.

View of the Mansion at site of proposed Repton bridge at AttinghamNational Trust Images

7

Continue along the path adjacent to the river until you reach the corner of the Deer Park and head through the black gate which leads to a path down to a stone bridge over the Tern. Please note: this gate is locked when conditions on the river bank are unsafe due to flooding. The bridge carries the A5 road over the river. Proceed under the bridge and turn to see one of the most impressive views proposed by Repton. The original bridge was one track wide but the original stone features were kept and replaced when it was widened in 1932. Repton proposed pedestrian access on either side of the bridge which wasn’t realised, however the Attingham Ranger team did put in the pedestrian path you have used in 2011. As you look up at the bridge facing the house notice the smiling gargoyle welcoming you as you entered the estate and as you leave, the sad gargoyle as you would have left.

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Humphry Repton to 2nd Lord Berwick in his Red Book

“Another great feature of the place is the vast arch over which the high road crosses, and of which no advantage is at present taken, for those who pass above along the high road see nothing of it, and as there is no walk or drive in the park to go near the bridge below, its vast size is little known.”

View of footpath to Tern Bridge at AttinghamNational Trust Images

8

Walk back under the bridge and head back on yourself towards the black gates you passed through. Through the gates turn right along the grass footpath.

Footpath divides on Repton Ramble at AttinghamNational Trust Images

9

After approximately 200 metres you will see a lodge on your right. This building is currently a private residence so please do not approach. Work commenced on a new turnpike or lodge house at the newly proposed entrance to Attingham from the east. Repton’s concept involved making the main road appear to belong to the estate and he proposed building two lodge houses either side of the main Atcham road, this idea was not adopted and only one lodge was built and is standing before you at Repton’s east entrance today.

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Humphry Repton to 2nd Lord Berwick in his Red Book

“And as this is the spot where I should suppose the high road to enter the park, or in other words where the park will have the appearance of extending across the high road, I must describe the management necessary to produce this effect, viz by erecting two similar buildings as lodges, although in fact one of them will be the residence of the man who keeps the turnpikes.”

Watercolour design for two lodges on east drive by Repton at AttinghamNational Trust Images

10

Continue from the lodge taking the path through the gate into the wooded area, walking through the woods with the main A5 road on your right hand side. Head through a second gate back into the Deer Park. Look out for deer in the deer sanctuary on your left.

Gate on Repton Ramble at AttinghamNational Trust Images

11

After a short walk cross a wooden footbridge and enter a second wooded area through a gate. In this area you will see remains of some red brick buildings which date from the second world war when part sof the estate were used as an airbase. Continue on heading through a second gate and up into the Deer Park over a footbridge.

View of footbridge on Repton Ramble at AttinghamNational Trust Images

12

After passing through the deer sanctuary on either side of a grass footpath join a concrete path and follow this through the deer sanctuary. At a junction turn left continuing along the concrete path. When the concrete path ends continue on the grass path ahead towards the trees.

The fallow deer at Attingham Park National Trust/ Chris Lucas

13

After a short walk the grass path forks. Take the left fork towards the woods to join a gravel path and continue on along this. Emerge from the woods and take the path to the left back towards the Mansion that you should be able to see ahead of you.

14

Continue along the path to stop at a large oak tree. This oak is known today as The Repton Oak, however tree surveys show the oak to be around 650 years old, so older than Repton’s time at Attingham. One thing we can imagine is Repton standing at the oak surveying the landscape and contemplating its place and significance in his improvements.

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Humphry Repton to 2nd Lord Berwick in his Red Book

“There are also some large trees and some striking points of view which deserve to be called into notice in a plan professing to increase the number of beautiful circumstances, rather than the number of acres in the park.”

The 'Repton Oak' at AttinghamNational Trust Images

15

Head back down towards the Mansion via the Deer Park bridge. You can continue your visit to Attingham - Repton's original Red Book is on display inside the Mansion until September 2018, explore the estate further, or return to the hub of the Stables Courtyard to finish your walk.

Terrain

Walking on a mixture of grass, concrete and woodland paths, this route is on a combination of level terrain and a few short inclines in the Deer Park. Paths may be uneven in places and may not be suitable for buggies or mobility scooters in muddy conditions. The footpath tot he tern Bridge is locked when river levels have caused flooding. Please enquire before setting out.

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2018 marks 200 years since the death of the landscape designer Humphry Repton. Repton worked at many great estates across the country including Attingham, where we still have his original Red Book of designs.

Over the next ten years, we will be working to restore the Pleasure Grounds that will reveal the hidden story of the landscape and the spectacular views across the estate. Follow our progress as we update you with our work.

Humphry Repton was commissioned to design and produce a 'Red book' for at least nine sites now owned by National Trust. He may have a hand in many other's but he described Sheringham Park as his "most favourite work.”